Help.. Need info on Dunlop MAX 200G's

VikingSamurai

VikingSamurai

Banned
Ok, I am actually looking for a Dunlop Max 200G that was used by J Mac and Steffi Graf back in the day. But I remember what it was, but have seen all these new incarnations of the 200g since..

So could you all please explain to me all these different 200G models and specs for me. And if you have them, can you please show pics of what you are talking about?

I have seen 200G Pro II HM200G, 200G weave ect ect ect..

I dont know much about them as I am not big on Dunlop sticks, but it has interested me somewhat and I would like to learn more about this animal and its offspring..
 
The max 200g you would want is the 1983-1986 (approx),it was black with gold and green trim.(I still use my 1984 and love it) .sometime in the late 80s changed the paint job,one had purple trim,the golden slam version,one had grey paint,and so on.If you want the Johny Mac type get a green and gold,a good one on e*** will go for 75-100$. string it 50 -55lbs and have fun.
 
IIRC, there were four distinct graphics versions of the Max 200G, available circa 1982-1990: first with black leather grip (with gold dunlop dunlop dunlop dunlop... imprint), later with a proper tan fairway-esque grip. The graphics on the shaft and edge and the "Max 200G" typefont on the throat changed over the years. A John McEnroe signatue was added to the graphics. The last version had vastly different graphics with a large 200G Pro on the throat. I believe this was the version used by Graf in her last year with Dunlop, before she switched to Wilson endorsement. I believe the composition of these are all the same. Dunlop pioneered an odd manufacturing technique for these rackets whereby they were essentially melted nylon and chopped graphite, blown into a mold and molded hollow. The grommets (apart for four solitary grommets for shared holes) were integral to the mold.

They're really fun rackets to play with, especially if you are a fairly skilled player and can take advantage of the balance, soft (woodlike) feel, and super dense string pattern. The string tension range seems artificially low (45-55 lbs) but if one strings the racket much tighter, the head will warp like an old wood frame.
 
The Grafil mixture (graphite/nylon) was poured into a mold which had a metal frame. The frame melted at a lower temperature than the Grafil thus leaving a hollow racquet. You can see the drain holes in all of the Max and the "i" series frames.

As far as the Max200g lineage goes, you can tell by few graphic changes. I believe the ORIGINAL one has "Patent Pending" on the throat. The "grommet" channels are much more pronounced and was black/green. The later ones will have "US Patent" and "UK Patent" information. Then came JMac's signatured "Max Series". The very last were the purple/green Pro III.

I have every version except for the Golden Slam version, which is quite rare and demands high $$ on auction sites.

I'm sure there's much more info in older threads so the search function would help as well. I saw some good posts from the past.
 
Psp2 is pretty accurate in his description of the lost core molding that was involved. I used to have a load of pictures of the tooling from my early days at Dunlop. I will try and find them to post.
 
Nice posts guys!! I used the Max 200g from 1984-1990. It was my main stick from 7th grade to 2nd year of college. I remember suttle changes during those years (mentioned above). I do know the "pro" series had a slightly different weight than the version Mac first used (the black/green w/black grip. I may be wrong, but it was a tad lighter.
 
All the versions were great sticks, there are some pictures here if you want to look:

http://www.woodtennis.com/McEnroe/


The Grafil mixture injection actually gave this racket a dynamic stiffness so that it played very soft and flexible but if you swing really fast, it plays stiffer. It is about the closest to a woodie that I have played but this graphite midsize gives it much more power and control than a woodie.
 
I used the Dunlop Max 200G from 1987 to 2000. Best feeling racquet ever made. Finally had to switch because they stopped making them in 1992 and because I was getting overpowered by opponents with Babolats and the like.
 
The MAX 200G was the first raquet I purchased.. way back when I was in highschool (1987).

To this day, I still own and use the 2 original max 200g's I bought back then (black with all green graphics, and black with green and gold graphics).

When hit in the sweetspot, these sticks are the most satisfying raquets for volleying that I have ever used (mine has lead tape at 3 & 9). ...it's like buddah. ;)
 
Jack & Coke said:
Now.. what's the story with the Black Max?

Sure looks like a 200G, but was it made the same way?
Click to expand...
It's not the same at all. Not even close.
The Black Max had a very typical design for the time (early 80s). The Max 200G had a very unique design, matched only by other Dunlop and Slazenger injection molded frames in the 80s.
(Slazenger was Dunlop's sister company.)
 
Well, I finally got myself one, and it has since gone on the wall with some of my other collectors frames. I am just waiting for my Austrian made Lendl Adidas GTX Pro to arrive..

I am renovating, so the painting hasn't been finished on the doorways..

P3180583.jpg
 
My 1st Racquet was a Dunlop MAX 150G (65-sq-inch head ) still have it.
Then Used 2 Max200g from 85-88 - it had a bigger head size .Those were some great racquets - best FEEL racquet , specially volley's . But then fell in love with PS85's.

hmmm........ Very Interesting indeed , This is the 1st time I'm seeing this Black-Max version .
 
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It was a wonderful racquet, and I told my wife to bury one with me: chuck it into the casket when I'm done. I saw the Golden Slam frame only once; very nifty deal.
 
Great, great racquet. Had switched to it--the black/green brown leather gripped incarnation--from the very similar Max 300i. (Preferred the feel of the 300i, but it repeatedly suffered string tearing the soft injection molded material between the integrated grommet holes.)

Armed with the old 200g, I returned to tennis after years without regular play and felt underpowered againt widebody-wielding opponents. Tried the Muscle Weave 200g without success; it's a completely different-feeling stick.
 
Someone mentioned to me that they were reissuing the old skool MAX 200G... I was quite surprized, but now I ask, anyone here hear of anything? Any truth to what I was told. I really doubt it, but it would be nice to see.
 
Jack & Coke said:
Someone mentioned to me that they were reissuing the old skool MAX 200G... I was quite surprized, but now I ask, anyone here hear of anything? Any truth to what I was told. I really doubt it, but it would be nice to see.
Click to expand...
Impossible! The only factory in the world that made those racquets using the injection molding technology was the Dunlop one in England and that was shuttered in 1992. I don't think any of that old injection molding manufacturing equipment even exists anymore anywhere in the world. So it's a nice dream, but no truth in it at all. So even if Dunlop made a new racquet called the "Max 200G", it won't be the same as the original injection molded one at all.
 
Thanks for that info.. I suspect he saw the name "200G" of the newer racquets and maybe mistook it for the original max 200G (a.k.a. home defense club)
 
chris_in_japan said:
P3180583.jpg
Click to expand...
So THAT'S where my Mag Pro 90 went.
Crap - I've been looking for that thing for years. I've no idea how it ended up on the other side of the planet - but there it is.

I trust that you'll kindly return it to me, now Chris... so that I may use it as it was intended to be used...
 
Deuce said:
So THAT'S where my Mag Pro 90 went.
Crap - I've been looking for that thing for years. I've no idea how it ended up on the other side of the planet - but there it is.

I trust that you'll kindly return it to me, now Chris... so that I may use it as it was intended to be used...
Click to expand...

Sorry my friend, I got this here in Japan as double deal with a Yamaha Proto 03.. (Although I didnt want the Yamaha).. And this bad boy will soon be adorned with a checkered black and white Pat Cash head band;)

ps: I just picked myself up the Austrian version Lendl Adidas GTX-PRO to go on the wall with them. And I have been told that people want the Austrian more than the others because it was made in Austria?. But I kinda like the look of the GTX Pro-T that is made in France better..
 
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chris_in_japan said:
Sorry my friend, I got this here in Japan as double deal with a Yamaha Proto 03.. (Although I didnt want the Yamaha).. And this bad boy will soon be adorned with a checkered black and white Pat Cash head band;)
Click to expand...
But it's a bloody shame that that beautiful racquet is wasting away, immobile on a wall.
One of the top 3 racquets of my lifetime.

Ever seen a white one, other than Pioline's?
 
No - I mean the Mag Pro 90.

Cedric Pioline's were white.
His are the only white one's I've seen - and I'm wondering if they were available to the general public in white in any country.

I have 4 of Pioline's white Mags - got them from him about 10 years ago, when he stopped using them.
 
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Deuce said:
No - I mean the Mag Pro 90.

Cedric Pioline's were white.
His are the only white one's I've seen - and I'm wondering if they were available to the general public in white in any country.

I have 4 of Pioline's white Mags - got them from him about 10 years ago, when he stopped using them.
Click to expand...

I thought he used a graphite racket?.. I never saw him us a magnesium one?
 
Amazing - Never saw this coming..

Item number: 300090865917 on that really big auction site:

DUNLOP MAX 200 G TENNIS RACQUET



..currently at $285 :o
 
"It's not worth that amount!!"

Anything is "worth" what anyone else is willing to pay for it. ;)

Besides, maybe it's not for playing, maybe it's for a collection?

If that's the case then maybe the bidder really wants it since the original graphics appear to be in very good condition.. :confused:
 
the auction just ended for this item and sold for $305.00 + shipping costs

someone really wanted one of these I guess.. too bad I didn't take care of the graphics on mine. The green and gold paint comes off really easy. oh well :)
 
I bought a brand new one a couple of years ago for $40 that I turned around and sold to a friend for a whopping $10 profit.

I knew I could get a lot more for it if I wanted to - but my friend had been using them for 20 years, and his three were in pretty bad shape - so it was a no brainer.
 
bertrevert said:
Got one of these today in the charity shop
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/926/blackmax2wt9.jpg

Black Max 200g. Well I loved the (very different) Muscleweave 200g, but this Max 200g seems real close to a ProStaff alright and hence should be fun to swing this limp noodle...
Click to expand...
Thats a straight Black Max.
The only thing it has in common with the Max 200g is that both were made by Dunlop at roughly the same time (early 1980s).
Two different racquets.
 
Oh okay thank v much. It still has the original grip with Gold Dunlop lettering saying "Premium Quality Cowhide" and the strings must be more recent though they are unidentifiable. 366 grams on the measure. Should be very flexy.
 
bertrevert said:
Oh okay thank v much. It still has the original grip with Gold Dunlop lettering saying "Premium Quality Cowhide" and the strings must be more recent though they are unidentifiable. 366 grams on the measure. Should be very flexy.
Click to expand...
Although I don't remember how it felt, I'm sure that the Black Max is a very nice, very comfortable frame. It was made at a time when all graphite frames were beautiful hits.

Enjoy it.
 
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